The Peanut Butter Sandwich Man
by readingmama
Summary: Edward Cullen is a man of routines. When a homeless girl distracts him from said routine, Edward finds it is time for a change. Winner of a Gem Award for "Best left you wanting more" Reviewed on the Southern Fanfiction Review!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N- Thanks so much to AcrosstheskyinStars who is an amazing Beta and friend. **

**Thanks to Anju34 and Wytchwmn75 for pre-reading the beginning of this. **

**Stephenie Meyer owns the characters, I own the routine. **

**This story is dedicated to my husband who has a peanut butter sandwich for lunch every day. You got to love a man who you know won't get bored! **

The Peanut Butter Sandwich Man

Edward Cullen was a man of routine. Each morning, his alarm clock would go off at precisely six-fifteen. Once out of bed, he would slide into his slippers and head through his large but modest condo and retrieve his paper from outside his door. His timed coffee pot would ding at exactly the same moment he entered the kitchen, where he would pour a cup into his favorite mug.

Edward Cullen would read the paper for exactly twenty-two minutes each morning, giving him enough time to check the stocks, read any interesting headlines, and laugh at his favorite comic. He would then rinse out his coffee cup and set it back in front of the coffee machine so that it would be ready for him the next day.

Once he was done with his mug, Edward would shower. At six foot two, with about an inch and a half of hair on the top of his head, it took him on average eighteen minutes to shower and an extra fourteen to complete his bathroom routing, consisting of flossing and brushing his teeth as well as shaving and styling his hair.

Don't be fooled by his routine though, Edward Cullen liked to shake things up. He changed the flavor of coffee daily and would frequently buy different brands of shampoo and conditioner. But there was one thing that he didn't change. Every day for lunch, since he was a little boy, Edward had a peanut butter sandwich. He avoided lunch meetings like the plague because there was nothing more comforting to him than eating a peanut butter sandwich.

His mother, who had passed several years before, had always made them for him and he would feel close to her each time he ate one.

On this particular morning of June third, two thousand and nine, Edward was going to find another anomaly in his routine. You see, he lived exactly six blocks from his work in the downtown Seattle area and he walked to work each morning. The area wasn't bad but there were occasionally a few homeless people milling about. Edward didn't pay much attention to them usually; he was too busy trying to make his nine-minute walk closer to eight.

So at twelve minutes to eight in the morning, when Edward had just passed block three, a small girl caught his eye. Her petite body was huddled up against a building, and by the size of her, Edward guessed that she was maybe about fifteen, but it was hard to tell. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and her long, dark hair hung over her face.

Something about the small girl made Edward pause. He wished he could do something for her but he rarely carried cash on him. With most places accepting debit or credit, Edward had all but eliminated paper money from his life. He suddenly wished he kept a twenty on him for emergencies and vowed he would do so from now on.

With no money to give the poor girl, Edward moved on from his short pause and made it to work exactly two minutes later than usual. This turned out to be a good thing as his secretary, Jessica, had been waiting to ambush him in the stairwell.

Jessica had been after Edward since the day she started working for him and Edward, although polite, was entirely clueless. Today had been the day that she was going to make him see how perfect she was for him. She knew what time he arrived at work each morning, and that he would take the stairs as he claimed it was good for his health. Knowing that nearly no one else took the stairs, opting for the less healthy route of the elevator, Jessica had decided to sit, sans clothes, in the stairwell and wait for him.

With tiny knickers and a lacy bra, Jessica shivered in anticipation of Edward's arrival. However, Edward, arriving two minutes later than normal, decided to forgo the stairs in preference of the faster elevator, making up some of his lost time.

Michael Newton, known as "the newt" in the mail room, had had a crush on Jessica ever since she bumped into him and called him an idiot on his second week. When he arrived ten minutes ahead of time for work, he didn't want to set a bad precedent. He would surely never show up on time again, so he decided to take the stairs instead of the elevator, to kill some of his time.

The looks on Michael and Jessica's faces were not identical when they met in the stairwell but both could be described as comical. Jessica was shocked and mortified, the emotions written on her face, while Michael's held the look that only lottery winners seem to get. Michael dropped down on his knees in front of her with intention to propose. Jessica, seeing "the newt" on his knees, made her look at him in an entirely new light, and never one to waste an opportunity, she stuck her hand on her hip and quoted grease.

"What cha gonna do about it, stud?"

After a rousing fourteen minutes and twelve seconds of foreplay, Michael and Jessica were both sixteen minutes and twenty-two seconds late for work.

Annoyed at his assistant for being late, Edward couldn't help but notice that she was also a lot less helpful today than she had been. And with his thoughts unable to leave the homeless girl, he wasn't getting much work done.

By the time lunch rolled around, Edward was irritated. He looked forward to the homey scent of the peanut butter and his small carton of milk. However, the moment he pulled it out of his briefcase, he realized how stupid he was. The poor girl that sat on the corner was likely starving; he'd had this lunch and he never once thought to offer it to her.

Throwing the brown lunch bag down on his desk in disgust, Edward decided to spring into action. The chances were low that she would still be there, but he had to try. Picking up the lunch and throwing on his jacket, he ran to the elevator. Many of his coworkers had never seen him move so fast and were in full attention as they watched him sprint down the hall.

It took Edward two minutes and twelve seconds running full tilt to get to the corner where she had sat. The empty spot deflated him quickly. Huffing from overexerting himself, Edward did the only thing he could think to do to make himself feel better. He sat in the young girl's spot and ate his sandwich.

Six-fifteen the next morning, Edward Cullen started his routine all over again. His slippers, his coffee, his paper, and his shower all gave him comfort over the unusual day he'd had yesterday. With his lunch packed into his briefcase, he began his walk to work.

Never once did he expect for the young girl to be back, so when he spotted her, he did a double-take. Sure enough, with her head on her knees and her hair obstructing her face, the young girl had returned. Edward couldn't help but notice how skinny she was and he knew what the cure for that was. He knew that peanut butter was full of protein, and along with the carbohydrates in the bread, this was a perfect meal to fill her belly.

Edward placed his briefcase on the ground, unlatched the clips, and pulled out his lunch bag. He placed his offering in front of the girl's ratty sneakers.

"Thank you," a sweet voice replied to him. He wanted nothing more than to see her face but knew a thing or two about pride and therefore would never demand it from her.

Edward Cullen was three minutes and forty-seven seconds later to work than usual having stopped to give away his lunch and still opting for the stairs. Luckily, they were unoccupied this morning as Jessica and Michael had decided to meet in a less conspicuous place, the janitor's closet. Another fortunate event was the fact that said janitor had removed the incriminating evidence, Jessica's cheekies, on the previous night's shift. What the janitor did with her underwear is a story for another time.

He didn't realize that he had been whistling until he noticed the strange looks that were plastered on his coworkers' faces. He felt like a true hero, sitting in front of his computer, knowing he had helped his fellow man…er, woman, and yet something was missing.

Edward had hoped that he would see her again on his way home but he knew that it was unlikely. He wondered if she was like him, a product of her routine. Was she a runaway? An orphan? An Immigrant? Edward couldn't help his fascination with her.

Sure enough, she was gone by the time he made his appearance on her block. He smiled to himself, thinking of her in her own routine. Of course, he still felt horrible for her, but if she could find comfort in the same ways he did, then he felt a little bit closer to her.

Edward Cullen did something that evening that he rarely ever did. He set his alarm clock back ten minutes in preparation to add to his routine.

At five after six the next morning, Edward Cullen began his routine again. As he prepared to make his lunch, however, he pulled out four slices of bread instead of just two. Giving even extra attention to his usually careful task, he spread the peanut butter.

His walk to work began six minutes earlier than usual and there was an extra skip in his step. When arriving at the feet of the tiny girl, he placed the extra lunch bag he packed at her feet. He stared at the top of her head and tried to will her to look up.

"Thank you," she repeated the same as the day before. And same as the day before, she kept her eyes on the ground.

"Edward," he said wanting to leave more behind than just a sandwich. He had no idea where this strange desire came from but he followed it nonetheless.

"Thank you, Edward," she replied and he knew that she was smiling even if she wouldn't look at him.

Four days later, Edward found himself back in front of her and received a parting gift of his own.

"Bella," she said softly. "My name is Bella."

After that day, their greeting would be as follows.

"Hello Bella," Edward would say.

"Hello Edward," Bella would reply.

"I brought you a sandwich…and some milk…oh, and some cookies. They are chocolate chip today." The truth was they were almost always chocolate chip, substituted only occasionally with oatmeal raisin.

"Thank you."

"You are more than welcome, Bella."

This pattern continued for exactly ninety-seven days before Edward could take no more. As the warm weather turned colder, he couldn't help but notice that her jacket was much too thin for the coming months and her shoes had far too many holes in them to keep out the snow and such.

Sitting in his office, Edward contemplated how he could help Bella more. The girl still hadn't shown him her face and yet he was sure he could recognize her anywhere.

"Mr. Cullen?" His new secretary's voice called out from behind the door.

Jessica had left the company three weeks earlier, unable to work through her morning sickness. Edward hadn't even realized that she was in a relationship. Not that he took it upon himself to delve into his coworkers' personal lives.

"Yes, Ms. Hale?" he answered.

Edward liked his new assistant, Ms. Rosalie Hale, much better than Jessica. Rosalie had an air of competence about her, which was why when Edward thought of her, he always attached the Ms. to her name.

"The board is ready to see you," she replied.

"Thank you."

Edward hated board meetings. The board was made up of three older men that should have retired long ago. Sometimes, if Edward looked at them hard enough, he thought he may be able to see through their papery skin. The board loved Edward. He was their golden child. They knew that Edward was the future of the company and were hopeful that he would step up into the first vacant role. They wanted Edward to decide but all he could think about was Bella.

Edward left the three grumpy men at the end of the day and headed home, his eyes lingering on Bella's spot. He had wondered before where she spent her time away from here. Did she take off as soon as he brought her sandwich or did she linger there for a few hours? He thought maybe he wasn't the only one bringing her things. The thought made him feel unsettled.

That night, Edward looked around his spacious apartment and had an epiphany. There was no reason why he couldn't offer her shelter from the cold, at least at night. Edward wasn't stupid enough to leave a woman he barely knew alone in his apartment but he didn't see why he couldn't have her there when he was.

When Edward's alarm went off the next morning, he jumped out of bed with renewed vigor. He had spent the evening prior putting clean sheets on his guest bed and adding some toiletries to his main bathroom.

Edward spent an extra forty-three seconds on making Bella's sandwich that morning. He even drew a flower in the peanut butter with the knife before putting the two slices of bread together. The design would be ruined but the thought was still there.

Edward put on an extra layer that morning as the wind was starting to cut. He briefly worried about Bella being out in it all day but knew there wasn't much he could do about it. He only hoped that she would take him up on his offer.

A great big smile came across Edward's face when he saw Bella sitting there that morning.

"Hello Bella," he said.

"Hello Edward," Bella replied.

Edward felt the air leave him as he thought about what he was going to do.

Bella sat there and waited for Edward to tell her that he made her a sandwich. The familiarity of what he did for her in her uncertain world was a huge comfort to her. There had been many men who tried to help Bella out, but they all wanted something in exchange. Edward hadn't been like that to her. He never asked her for anything. He gave, and Bella was grateful to him.

Still, she had never let him see her face. She didn't want him to see the lost soul in her eyes. She was broken and unable to hide it, so she kept her face hidden behind her tresses.

When Edward paused, Bella almost looked up. The man was like clockwork, and the fact that he was standing in front of her not speaking, unnerved her.

"It's getting cold out," he said nervously and Bella couldn't help but wonder why.

"Yes, but it's not too bad yet." If there was one thing Bella didn't like, it was people feeling sorry for her.

"Uhm, so I live alone. And I have an extra room," Edward stammered. His usually calm and fluent tone was gone and it was making Bella uncomfortable. "Well, that is to say. I would like it if you came and stayed with me, in the evenings…so that you don't get cold."

And there it was. It had taken him longer than the others, but it still came back to the same thing. Bella wanted to cry but instead she decided to do something else. Most of the guys that had propositioned her before didn't care what she looked like. They just wanted the act. From what she knew of Edward, he liked things neat and orderly.

So Bella chose her best line of defense and she looked up at him.

When Edward noticed Bella lifting her head up, he was anxious to finally see her face. He had thought many times about what it would look like. Every one of his thoughts had been wrong. Edward couldn't help his gasp when her hair finally fell from her face. She was stunning. Her large brown eyes and heart shaped face suited her perfectly. Her lips were uneven but in a way that Edward felt like he could stare at them for hours. It was only after he had taken in her beauty that he noticed the giant scar that ran through her right eyebrow and down her cheek.

Bella looked down after he gasped. It was what she had wanted, for him to not want her, and yet for some reason, she hurt. She hugged her knees and waited for him to leave. She hoped that he would leave her one more sandwich. She would savor it more than the others, knowing it would be her last.

"Uhm, here is your lunch," he said, placing the bag at her feet.

"Thank you, Edward," she replied, keeping her voice as steady as she could.

"I get off work at five. I hope you will think about my offer. If you're not here, I will know your answer." And with that, Edward Cullen left and went to work.

Bella sat there, confused. His response had not been what she was expecting. She waited until she knew that he was gone and reached forward, picking up her lunch. She then followed her own daily routine. She walked four blocks east and into a lonely alley. There, she waited for Alice.

Alice was homeless as well, her story was common enough but that didn't make it right. Her parents gave her up for adoption but being the runt of the litter had made it so that she was never adopted. At fifteen, she ran away from the orphanage and had been living on the street ever since. A tiny girl, barely reaching five feet, Alice was an easy mark for other street people.

Alice never relented though; she would sing and dance in the subways for change every day, even though nine times out of ten, someone would steal the money from her.

When Bella spotted her friend come around the corner, she had a hard time meeting her with the same smile she usually did. Alice noticed immediately that Bella was off.

"Hey sweetness," Alice said to Bella using the nickname that she had given her moments after meeting her eight months previous.

"Hey stretch," Bella responded with a half-hearted smile.

Bella pulled out the bag and split the sandwich with Alice, just as she did every day. It was the one meal that they knew they would get every day. The girls were usually silent as they ate quickly. Today, Bella was nibbling on her sandwich, giving Alice another clue that something was wrong.

"Spill," Alice said.

Bella did, she told Alice all about her fears with Edward. Alice knew that the mystery peanut butter benefactor was a man, but until now, that was all she had known. So when Alice listened to the whole story, she felt completely comfortable with giving advice.

"Sounds dangerous."

"I don't think he'd hurt me," Bella defended.

"No, but he is a man. He will want something in return," Alice replied.

Bella felt frustrated. She knew that Alice was right but for some reason she was hoping that her friend would talk her into going back and meeting him at their corner at five.

After the girls went their separate ways for the day, Bella thought more about Edward's offer. He hadn't said that he wanted anything untoward from her. He even said he had a spare room. Bella wavered on this tiny detail all day.

At five minutes to five, Edward was too anxious to work. He was the type of man who started on time and finished on time. To not work those last five minutes was weighing on him. The thought of whether or not Bella was waiting at the corner, however, weighed much more.

He could hear the sound of Ms. Hale typing on her keyboard just outside his office. He knew that she wouldn't question if he left now, but the thought that she wouldn't be there made him wait. He couldn't understand why she wouldn't want a warm bed to sleep in but when he remembered the look she had given him when he saw her and he wasn't so sure. She had looked at him with hurt and he couldn't understand why. He only knew he never wanted her to look at him like that again.

Edward waited the full five minutes, leaving his office at precisely five. With a small nod and parting phrase to Ms. Hale, Edward climbed onto the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, he wished he had taken the stairs instead. He had too much nervous energy to burn off.

It took Edward two minutes and fifty-eight seconds to reach the corner. He could see it clearly from a block away and the sight made him slow down. She wasn't there.

He stopped and stood there, unsure of what to do. He knew he ought to go home and forget about it. If she didn't want his help, then he would just continue to do what he could and make her a sandwich. He waited for a minute before starting towards his home.

"Edward?" her voice called out and Edward spun around to see her standing there, looking impossibly small.

Edward was elated but tried not to show it too much, as to not scare Bella.

"I didn't think you would come," he said.

"Me either," she replied. It was true, she hadn't intended on coming but her feet brought her here and who was she to argue with them?

"This way," Edward said with a sweeping gesture. Bella smiled at him and he had a hard time looking away.

Edward's staring made Bella uncomfortable. While she was used to people staring at her scar, she was unable to get a read on Edward. Usually, she could tell the difference between disgust and pity, but Edward's face had a different emotion on it. One Bella had never seen before.

Edward placed his hand on the small of Bella's back. It was something he had always done in the company of a female, but when Bella flinched, he removed his hand quickly. He frowned to himself, wondering what he did wrong.

When they arrived back at Edward's home seven minutes and three seconds later than he usually did, Edward felt nervous. It was the first time he had brought a woman back to his place, and while he knew that this was a different situation, he still knew that a home said a lot about a person. He wondered if Bella would like his home, and in turn, him.

Bella stood in the apartment nervously. She didn't know what to do and she sure didn't want to sit on his nice furniture in her dirty clothes.

"Can I take your coat?" Edward asked.

Bella shrugged out of her ripped fleece jacket and handed it to Edward. Her face was all apologies as she looked at the dirt caked on it.

"Would you like to get cleaned up before dinner?" Edward asked.

Bella was excited about the prospect of having a shower with real privacy. At the shelter she sometimes visited, the stalls were divided by curtains and Crazy Carlisle, as they called him, was always there to peek in at the young girls. He was harmless in every other way but Bella didn't liked being ogled in such a precarious state.

"That would be very nice," she replied.

Edward took the next three minutes showing Bella the bathroom and the products he had placed out especially for her. He had practiced this speech the night before so that he would not forget even the smallest detail.

Once Bella was left to her own devices, she smiled. Locking the door after Edward left felt like a luxury she was never sure she would have again. The bathroom was neat, and that was no surprise to her. The whole room was white, counters, floors, walls, and even the shower curtain. The only thing that was not white was the pink toothbrush he had left for her on the sink. The sight of it nearly made Bella cry.

While she could not fathom why Edward was so generous to her, she didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth. She carefully peeled away her clothing, folding them and placing them on the floor. They were much too dirty to put on the counters.

The water of the shower was heavenly, the perfect pressure and warmth. Had she not been feeling so good about it, she might have felt bad for the layer of grime that was surely sticking to Edward's pristine tub. Bella shampooed her hair twice and then massaged the conditioner in. She couldn't remember the last time she got to use anything but head and shoulders, which was what was given to them at the shelter.

With great effort, she turned the shower off, not wanting to take advantage of Edward's hospitality or all his hot water. The towel he left for her, white, of course, was surely made from the best cotton. The fluffy material felt like a cloud on her skin and the smell of fabric softener was heavenly to her.

She combed through her hair with the white comb he had left for her.

_It's amazing how much easier it is to get tangles out when you use a real conditioner_, she thought.

She looked down at her dirty pile of clothes, not wanting to tarnish her new clean skin with them, when there as a knock on the door. The sound made Bella jump but she was able to keep the squeak from escaping.

"Yes?" she asked nervously.

Edward had prided himself on a good deed when he had left Bella in the shower. It was only minutes after he heard the water running that he realized he forgot to give her something. Edward had selected an old pair of track pants and a t-shirt that he planned on giving her to change into but no longer knew how he would do it.

When the water stopped, he decided to just be brave and knock on the door. He knew that she would feel exposed talking to him naked and he wanted her to be nothing but comfortable with him. He wasn't sure why but Bella's happiness was starting to mean a lot to him.

"I...uhm…I have some clothes for you here, if you'd like. I'll just leave them outside the door," he said.

"Oh!" she said shocked, "Thank you."

Edward put the clothes down and walked away. He heard the door open once he was safely in the kitchen. He stirred the pot of sauce that he started while Bella was showering. Edward was a decent cook, and while he could have made her fish and rice or even chicken salad, he thought she might appreciate the carbohydrates of pasta.

"That smells really good."

Bella's voice startled Edward and he turned around to greet her. She had his pants rolled at both the waist and the ankles. The shirt was comically large on her and her wet hair was making see-through spots on her shoulders and back. Edward had never seen someone more beautiful in his life. He thought back to when he had first seen Bella. With her small frame hunched over, he thought she couldn't have been more that fifteen, but as he looked at her now, he couldn't realize how wrong he had been.

Bella was a woman.

"The food? It smells really good," Bella repeated.

Edward realized that he had just been gawking at the poor girl and felt ashamed of his actions. He ushered her into the kitchen and sat her down at the table he had set. He offered her a drink, keeping wine off the menu as he didn't know if she had any negative connotations about being homeless and drinking wine. He thought better safe than sorry.

The conversation with Edward was easy for Bella. In all her life, she had never met anyone that she could open up to the way she did with him. All through dinner, which she found delicious, she couldn't help but wonder where he had come from and why he chose her. She did not air those concerns as she didn't want to do anything that may upset him. She thought that there was nearly anything that she would do to repay his kindness.

It was two hours and forty-seven minutes later that they finally got up from the dinner table. They had been enjoying each other's company so much that time had gotten away from them. Edward hadn't pushed and asked her about her past, and for that, Bella was extremely thankful. It's not that she was ashamed of what had happened to her. She knew it wasn't her fault but she didn't want to mar the evening with unpleasant things.

When the evening was coming to a close, Edward slipped away, having one more surprise for Bella. It wasn't much but he hoped it would help her out in the day times, when she was away from him. When he came back in the room, he couldn't help but stare at her for a moment. She looked as happy as he had ever seen her and he prided himself in being a small part of that.

"Bella," he said and she turned to him. "I was hoping that you would take me up on my offer for as long as you need."

Her eyes shone with wonder as she responded, "Thank you, Edward. You have been far too kind."

"I know this isn't much but…"

Edward kept talking but Bella didn't hear him. All she saw was the twenties in his hand. So she had been right all along. He was much kinder than the others, but in the end, he still wanted to pay for her services. She looked at the money and couldn't help but wonder what it would be like. Surely Edward would be a gentle lover. If he took this much care in seducing her back to his place, how bad could it be? He had shown her more kindness than anyone ever had and that was why she was going to do this.

Bella stood up and looked into Edward's eyes. Her shaky hands betrayed her as she pulled the t-shirt off her body. She meant to be strong but her eyes were filled with tears before the thing hit the floor.

Edward stood, gob smacked. He couldn't figure out why the beautiful creature in his home was half naked and crying. He looked away, because Edward Cullen was nothing if not a gentleman. The direction he looked was down and when he did, he saw the money in his hand. The pieces clicked into place and Edward was furious.

"Put your shirt back on," he said firmly.

He heard Bella sniffle and the rustling of fabric. Once there was silence again, he looked up. Her eyes were to the floor and her shoulders drooped forward.

"I'm sorry, I thought…" she started.

"I know what you thought," Edward said curtly. "I just can't believe you would go along with it." Bella sniffled some more and Edward softened his voice. "Bella, you are so much better than that. Is this how you make your money?"

Edward was terrified of her response. The thought of her turning tricks for money made him sick. It also made him want to lock her up in his apartment and make sure she never had to do it again.

"No, I never… I just…oh God, I'm so ashamed," Bella cried.

Edward couldn't take the distance between them any longer and he went to her, pulling her into his arms. He hugged her while she sobbed. It was the first real contact the two of them had had and Edward never wanted it to end. He realized how lovely it would be to have this woman for his own. He chastised himself for thinking it in her fragile state.

Bella couldn't believe how the events of the night had turned. She had been having such a wonderful time when she made a huge error in judgment and now surely he was going to kick her out. The thing was, he wasn't kicking her out, he was hugging her, and Bella couldn't understand why. This man, this angel, she thought, was too perfect to be real.

When Edward broke the hug, he tugged Bella towards the couch. Together, they sat silently, neither knowing where to start. Bella felt utterly ashamed and Edward wanted to take that feeling away from her.

"Why were you going to do it?" Edward asked after the long pause. She had said she never had sex for money and yet she was going to do it with him. He had to know why.

"You have been nothing but kind to me, Edward. I didn't want that to stop."

"Bella, I am kind to you because I can't stand to be anything but. You inspire me to be a better man. I would never taint that by asking anything from you."

Bella let go of a small sob and Edward pulled her into his arms again. His hand rubbed her arm softly as she gained control of herself again.

"What if you didn't have to ask?"

"Pardon?" Edward asked, not entirely sure he heard right.

"Edward, you are the most kind and wonderful man I have ever met, and I would like to give you something, if that is okay."

Edward shifted in his seat. He was not used to the focus being on him and it excited and terrified him at the same time. "You don't have to give me anything," he repeated.

"I know."

"Okay."

"Okay?" she asked.

"Okay."

Bella turned to face Edward and she looked at him for a moment. His eyes were wide with excitement and what looked like a tinge of fear. Bella wasn't even sure he would want what she had to give him but it was her only gift to give.

She leaned in, holding his face in both her hands. The moment her lips touched his, Bella was filled with something she had never felt before; desire. Her body was alight with feelings foreign to her.

Although wanting to shove Edward down on the couch and take advantage of him, Bella kept the kiss short and relatively chaste. When she pulled back and looked into Edward's face, it was filled with an undeniable sense of awe. She had given him her first kiss.

Edward immediately fell onto his knees and off the couch. He wrapped his arms around Bella's waist and said, "Thank you."

The evening ended shortly after that. Each retiring to their own rooms but both wanting more than anything to continue what they had started on the couch. Edward wouldn't do it because he was worried that the events leading up to the kiss would mar their first time together and Bella wouldn't do it because she just had no idea on how to proceed.

When Edward's alarm clock went off the next morning, he woke feeling better rested than he had in years. It seemed every day since meeting Bella had made him, stronger, healthier, and happier. He was determined to keep that feeling and her.

Bella awoke dazed and confused. Her body was too warm and her bed too soft. Opening her eyes didn't seem to help, it was only when she heard Edward's whistling coming from the other room that she remembered where she was. A smile crept onto her face as she recalled the feeling of his lips on hers.

Bella quickly slipped on her own clothes. They had been washed for the first time in forever and the smell was nearly gone from them but they still reminded her of who she was and where she really resided.

Edward was like a dream and so was his offer, Bella knew from experience that things don't last but that didn't mean that she was going to give up on it while it was here.

Bella felt a bit hesitant when she left the safety of the hallway. Edward had his back to her when she entered the kitchen but as if sensing her, he turned to her immediately and smiled.

"Good morning, Bella," he said cheerfully.

"Good morning, Edward," she replied catching onto his happiness.

She walked up to the counter and saw what he was doing. He was making peanut butter sandwiches. The air in Bella's throat caught, this was something that she had imagined him doing each morning.

Edward kept working silently, knowing that Bella was watching him. When he had finished spreading the peanut butter, he drew a heart in it with his knife before placing the other piece of bread on top.

He put the sandwiches in bags before turning to her. Bella was looking at him with her lower lip clenched firmly between her teeth. Edward couldn't help himself; he bent down and kissed her lips. Bella didn't mind at all.

Edward was thirteen minutes and sixteen seconds late for work that day.

Four hundred and twenty-five days later, Edward and Bella had developed a new routine. After fifty-nine days, Edward had offered her a key to his apartment. After seventy-two days, Bella had gotten a job of her own, and after one hundred days, she started helping out in the rent. Every morning, Edward would make them peanut butter sandwiches and Bella would make an extra one for Alice.

Edward was quite upset when Bella wanted to help pay rent but wouldn't dream of taking something that gave her so much pride away. Bella would also save a chunk of her paycheck for Alice. She wanted to do more, but there was only so much she could do.

Edward and Bella would leave for work each morning and walk to their spot, from there Edward would walk north to work while Bella would walk west. At lunch, they would meet back at their spot and sit together eating their sandwiches.

Bella had told Edward that she loved him exactly one hundred one days after her first night there. Edward had responded in like, four seconds after her. Bella moved into Edward's bedroom seven days later.

The first time Bella and Edward had sex was after their confessions of love. Scared and timid, Edward was as innocent and new as Bella. The union had been quick but sensual and both were left satisfied. Of course, the time after that was even better.

So on the four hundred and twenty-sixth day, Edward did something out of routine. He had set the alarm for thirty minutes earlier than usual but had woken up even earlier and shut it off. In the kitchen, he pulled out his supplies. Laying the slices of bread on the counter, fifteen in all, he began to work.

He remembered all that they had been through. Her reluctance at first to a relationship, it was only after she told him that she was scared for it to end. The day she told him about her past had been trying. Bella and her father were attacked on the street; her father had been stabbed to death and Bella had barely survived with the gash on her face. The man had never been caught, and with no other living family, Bella was placed in the system. Too old to be adopted by most, she ran away just before she turned eighteen and had been living on the street for three years when Edward met her.

Edward smiled at the fact that she would never be homeless again and he hoped he would never have to be without his home as well, because she was his home.

He finished with the bread and stood back taking in the sight he had created. Once everything was perfect, Edward took the twenty-six steps back to his room and found his beautiful girlfriend still asleep. No matter how often he called her that, it never got old, but he was hoping to change that today.

Edward lay down beside Bella and brushed the hair off her face. She mumbled and cuddled further under the blanket. The site warmed Edward's heart.

"Good morning, love," he said nuzzling her neck with his nose.

Bella opened her eyes and saw the most beautiful green pair staring back at her. She reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into her body. Edward did nothing to resist.

Bella still couldn't get used to the way her body lit up when Edward touched her. Just a small caress left her wanton. He pushed the blankets away and hitched her leg up on his hip, causing Bella to moan. Their kisses became more and more heated until Bella was left begging.

Edward sat up and removed his shirt while Bella did the same. She still slept in his t-shirts but usually didn't wear pants. That was beneficial for days like these.

Edward could coax reactions out of her she never knew were possible and she did the same to him. They never used them as power plays though. Each touch was carefully placed to show the admiration and devotion they had to each other.

When their bodies were once again two, Bella yawned.

"Did you sleep well?" Edward asked, worried that he had woken her too early.

"Yes, but for some reason I seem tired again," Bella laughed.

Edward stood up and handed Bella her sleep shirt before putting his pants back on. He took her hand and led her to the kitchen.

Bella loved Saturdays; it meant the whole day was available for her and Edward. She thought nothing of the morning love making session. It wasn't uncommon for him to wake her that way on the weekends. It wasn't until she could feel a slight shaking in his hand that she wondered if something was up.

The moment she stepped into the kitchen, she started crying. Covering the counters were slices of bread that had been beautifully decorated with peanut butter, all arranged to spell 'Will You Marry Me?'

At the end of the line of bread was a small box, opened with a diamond ring in it.

Bella turned to Edward and he was down on one knee. This was not a sight Bella had ever imagined for herself. In the years of living on the street, she had given up on the idea of a happily ever after, much less one with a man like Edward.

Bella couldn't wait to start her happy life so she turned to Edward and whispered the word he had now been waiting eighty-three seconds to hear.

"Yes."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N- Thank you to my wonderful beta, Tanya and thank you to Helina and Amanda for pre reading this. **

**Thank you to everyone who rec'd this one shot, because of you it's now a two shot. **

**This is dedicated to all the wonderful readers that wanted to hear what happened to Alice. I hope it's all you wanted. **

**Alice's Story**

Alice Brandon was a woman of mistakes; the girl could not make a good decision to save her life. Because of one of these said mistakes, she had spent the last seven years of her life on the street, and now at the age of twenty two, she'd had enough, she just didn't know what to do about it. Her daily schedule meant seeing her best friend, which for most people would be nice, but the problem was that her best friend lived in a different world now. Alice felt like she was holding Bella back and the guilt became worse with every donation Bella placed in her hands, whether it was a sandwich or cash.

There was no way that Alice would ever be able to pay Bella back for all she had done, and she knew that Bella would never ask her to. The only thing Bella would ever ask of her friend would be to stay; Alice no longer felt that was an option. She needed to try for her own happily ever after and that wasn't happening where she was.

The first of Alice's many mistakes began when she ran away from the home. She had been placed there at birth but because of her tiny size, most potential parents were worried about her health and she ended up being one of the few babies that didn't get adopted.

The abuse started early as other kids would pick on her as an example of their superiority. By the time she was ten, she feared more than the kicks and punches. The older boys had started to leer at her and although she wasn't sure they would step over the line that far, she wasn't about to take the chance.

Even though her life was terrible there, she unwittingly left the day before a nice young couple had come with intentions of offering her a spot in their foster home. If she would have stayed at the home, she would now have been officially Bella's sister-in-law. Luckily, Alice would never learn this information.

This wasn't the only time that Alice ran away. When she was eighteen, she had found a place to stay under a bridge with some other homeless people. Most of them were older but there was one man who was in his late thirties that gave Alice the creeps. His eyes were shifty and he was always adjusting things in his oversized jacket. Alice ran before he got any ideas. This runaway was also a mistake; the creepy man in the oversized jacket was a news man, doing an undercover story about the young homeless people. He had been following Alice, but when she left, he had to look elsewhere. The young girl he ended up doing a story on became a symbol to the community and the people of their fair city donated over thirty thousand dollars to the homeless girl. She used that money to get a fresh start and now works in a clerical position at a dentist's office. As Alice didn't have a television, she would never learn of this either.

So when she decided to run away again, she had no idea whether or not it was a mistake. The only regret she had about leaving was how she said goodbye to her dearest friend.

**Sweetness, **

**Sorry, I gotta blow. I wish you all the happiness in the world, and I think you have it. Now I gotta go find mine. **

**Catch you on the flip side. **

**Stretch**

The letter said nothing of the easy friendship they'd had on the street but Alice couldn't afford to be emotional. She couldn't even stomach seeing Bella in person one more time. She convinced Crazy Carlisle to deliver the message to her friend where she would normally wait every day for her peanut butter sandwich. He was reluctant at first, even when she said he'd receive a lunch, so Alice sweetened the deal by offering to show him her boobs when he got back. Of course by then she'd be long gone.

She watched the blonde nut job walk off with the last communication to her friend and willed herself not to cry. She was barely successful. Packing all her things into a small Holt Renfrew bag and taking off. Alice took the forty-three dollars and sixty-seven cents she had been able to save from Bella's kind donations and bought a bus ticket for as far away as she could get.

Looking out the window of the bus, Alice said goodbye to the city that had been her home for so long. Things were going to be better, of that she was sure.

Carlisle was only disappointed for a few moments when he returned to find Alice had left for good, because shortly after that, he found a wonderful girl in the shower that the other boys had nicknamed Easy Esme. Turned out the two were a match made in heaven. He liked to watch, and she liked to be watched.

It took Alice a year and a half to admit to herself that things were not better. This new city was bigger and brighter than the last, but in that, people like her became even more anonymous. Alice had gotten lazy, with Bella's donations she had been eating regularly and now the infrequent meals were not enough to sustain her energy.

The subways were not as friendly to her and she was shoved out of the way more than once while she was trying to sing and dance for money. The bruises on her body were multiplying daily and Alice knew that she needed to figure out something different, and quick.

It took Alice another eight months to break down and do what she said she would never do.

Jasper Whitlock was a successful business man. Straight out of university, he had secured a job in one of the top companies in his profession. It took him relatively no time at all to rise up through the ranks and in just a short five years, he was CEO of the most successful ad agency in the country.

He was ecstatic when he made his first million. He was thrilled when he made his fifth. He was apathetic by the time he made his hundredth. Jasper didn't know what to do with all his money and yet he only ever gave the minimum donation amount that was recommended by his finance manager for tax purposes.

Jasper hated throwing money away and he sometimes wondered if giving to charity wasn't just that. He didn't want his money to go into admin costs; he wanted his money to make a difference, to actually cause some change.

Jasper wished he could say that he researched and found a cause close to his heart, but really, when it came down to it, he just picked up some random charity flyers and threw a dart at them.

When he stared at the _New Hope Shelter_ brochure, he didn't see all the people he could help, he saw a marketing job and one that he could undoubtedly do better. He didn't think this made him a bad person; the end result would be the same. People would be helped.

When Jasper stood next to his assistant and told the board members he was stepping down in order to start a homeless shelter, more than one of them checked their calendars to see if it was April Fool's Day. When the seriousness of the situation finally hit them, they panicked, offering Jasper more money, as if he needed it. He walked out of the office that day with a new excitement in him. He had a new challenge.

Jasper's assistant had followed him out of the building that day; she hadn't been worried about her job. After all, Jasper was her brother and they took care of each other. She had navigated him through his career, and as a result, no one had known about his affliction but her. She prided herself on being his right hand man—er, woman.

It took Jasper ten months to get his shelter up and running, and not only did it provide beds and meals, but it also offered jobs as well. There were positions available as simple as janitorial and some as complex as data entry, depending on the person's qualifications. He ran a small copy shop out of the front of the shelter and that had provided extra income for the shelter along with additional funding from philanthropists.

When Alice walked into the newest homeless shelter, she expected to find the same things she had encountered at all of the other ones. There was a pecking order in those places, and being as small as she was, she tended to be on the bottom, meaning that it was rare that there was food or a bed left for her at the end of the night.

She wasn't surprised when she saw the job board, most places had those, but the positions listed were usually filled quickly and by men with much better strength than her. People who hired for manual labor usually didn't pick a girl who was five feet tall and weighed ninety pounds. She didn't even glance at the listings or she would have been surprised to see clerical and other work that she was better suited for.

There was a small desk set up at the front of the building but it had been abandoned for the night, just as Alice had hoped. Walking into the large room, she could see partitions set up around sections of beds. She smiled at the thought of having a private sleep for once but those thoughts were quashed when she confirmed that there wasn't an empty bed in the place.

Looking for an out of the way spot, Alice curled up by a janitor's closet and quickly slipped into sleep.

Jasper was working late, he had sent Tanya home, telling his sister that he could manage his own way home. She had been reluctant to leave him, but as always, her big brother got his way. He had told her that he could call for a cab and the farthest he would have to go was the curb. She replied that he had better call her as soon as he got home and that she would worry until then. Tanya reminded him so much of his mother.

He ran his fingers along his book before slamming the thing closed. He was too tired to think anymore. Starting the shelter was meant to be another accomplishment, he thought he was going to feel the same fulfillment he did when he succeeded before but he still felt like something was missing.

His cell phone buzzed and he picked it up, answering it. "Jasper Whitlock."

"Hi honey," his mother cooed.

"Hi, mom."

"What are you doing up so late?" she asked.

"You called me," he replied. "How do you know you didn't wake me up?"

"Pish posh, you're always up," she laughed and he joined her. "So, are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

Jasper ran his hand through his curly blonde hair. "How do you do that? It's creepy," he retorted.

"I always know; call it mother's intuition."

"I call it: Tanya."

"Call it what you like, but I would still like an answer. Are you regretting leaving your position?"

"No," he said surely, "I just thought this would give me what I needed, but I still feel like I'm missing something."

"Well of course you are," she stated simply.

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"Love."

Jasper laughed, his mother had been trying to set him up over the last couple years and he hadn't had the time or desire for it. He thought that when the right girl came along, he would know, and no amount of blind dates was likely to throw her in his path.

"Mark my words; some day you are going to trip over your perfect woman and you still won't recognize her."

"Yes, mom," he replied, trying to placate her.

"I just worry about you," she answered, leaving him with a guilt trip.

"I know, mom, but you can force it. Look, I'm just about to head out for the night, I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay, goodnight, son."

"Night."

Jasper slipped the phone back into his pocket before grabbing his jacket off the chair. He slung it over his shoulder and reached for the door handle. He hated leaving a room without Tanya but he knew that sometimes it was necessary. Everyone in the other room would be sleeping and there wouldn't be anything that hindered him getting out.

Jasper opened his door and took two steps before colliding with something soft and warm. He tumbled over the small object, landing on his chest, his feet still draped over whatever he tripped on.

Jasper reached out and grabbed his glasses that had slid off his face. It took him a minute to find them as they had skidded a couple feet away from him. He now knew he had tripped over a person because he could feel them scurry away.

"How come you aren't in a bed?" Jasper asked, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

"Sorry, they were all taken."

"Well then you can't be here. We have a fire code. We can only keep the amount of people we have beds for."

"I know," she said, defeated.

Jasper heard her sigh before getting up and gathering her things. He didn't know why but there was something in her voice that made him sad to let her go.

"Wait," he called out.

Alice turned around against her better judgment, she knew she could be in big trouble and she didn't want to end up being banned from the shelter, and it really was the nicest one she had seen. She couldn't really make out the man in the dark and that was another thing that should have frightened her, but didn't.

"Come here, please," he said motioning through the door. She could see now that what she thought was a janitor's closet was actually an office. He flicked the light on and she followed him in.

There was a desk, a chair, and a small couch in the room and Alice shifted uncomfortably as the door was closed behind her.

Jasper could tell this girl was like a frightened kitty, one wrong move and she would bolt. So he put on a grin and asked, "Don't you have somewhere else you can be?"

Alice took in the man's cocky grin and saw the face of countless John's asking her for favors. Her retort came sharp, "If I did, I wouldn't be here, would I, blondie?"

While Alice couldn't deny that the man in front of her was attractive, it was too warm a night out for her to sell herself for shelter. Maybe if it had been the middle of winter he might have had a chance.

She watched him as he walked around his office with ease, never sparing her a glance. She wasn't used to treatment like that; usually a person would keep one eye on her the entire time. It went with the homeless territory. She was used to it but it still hurt her feelings, she was sensitive like that. She also noticed something else about the way he regarded her and she had a feeling that he was keeping a secret, and very well at that.

"Touché," he responded. "Look, you can sleep on my couch tonight, but don't tell anyone. And don't think this means you can do it again. One hundred and twelve beds, one hundred and twelve occupants, that's it. Okay?"

Alice nodded warily while studying him. She didn't trust the man, even if she was right about him, and what kind of man wore sunglasses in the middle of the night anyway? He continued to stare at her so she answered out loud, "I said yes, what are you blind or something?"

Jasper gasped at her accusation, even though he had heard the expression before, he knew immediately she was calling him out. He had gone over ten years without anyone finding out he was blind and here, in his homeless shelter in the middle of the night, this young girl had seen right through him.

When Alice saw Jasper's face, she immediately regretted the comment. She knew that she was right before she said it. She was used to being crass and confrontational in order to survive but she had always been that way to people that could handle it. The look on the man's face told her that he had a soft soul. How she wished that she could have hers back as well.

Feeling bad but too vulnerable to apologize, Alice offered a peace offering of another kind. "Thanks," she whispered.

Jasper walked towards the office door, intending on leaving the perceptive girl on his own but stopped just as he reached the door. He was sure his words would fall on deaf ears but he had to try.

"Could you…could you not tell anyone?" he asked, mirroring her exposed tone. The way she sucked in her breath told him he was surprised by his request, as if no one had ever given her the benefit of the doubt to even ask for her trust.

Alice almost made a mistake then and asked what was in it for her. The man was wealthy, she could tell by the polish of his shoes, he probably had a woman who did nothing but shine his shoes. Perhaps it was the way the stars were aligned, perhaps it was finally time for her to make a correct choice, perhaps she was just sick of not being true to herself so instead of demanding hush money, she whispered to him, "I swear."

The words were powerful and clear and there was no waver in the truth behind them. The man took a couple steps towards Alice and even though her defense mechanism told her to back up, she stayed planted where she was. He gave her lots of room, stopping a few steps in front of her.

He lifted the glasses off his face and she saw that his eyes were completely white, but they shone with an inner light that made her nearly fall over. Alice gasped at the beauty behind them. He immediately went to cover them again but Alice found herself rushing forward to grab his arm.

"Don't," she pleaded, "they are beautiful." He scoffed at her but made no motion to cover his eyes again.

"My name is Alice," she said, unsure of what else she could offer him for his trust. She stood in front of him, gazing at his face; a small smirk crept onto his lips, and for the first time, a man's smile didn't frighten her.

Jasper enjoyed the feeling of her hand on his arm. From the tiny hand, he could tell the girl was tiny. Of course he knew that she was short from where her voice had been projecting. Barely over five feet, he would guess, but the tiny fingers wrapped around his forearm told him that her features were small as well.

He breathed her in, she smelled fresh even though he knew she had probably not had a shower in a few days. There was something about her that seemed pure and it came pouring out to him through her skin. He wondered what color her hair was, her eyes, her skin. Not that it would mean much to him, he had been blind his whole life and had no idea what colors really looked like.

Tanya had tried to explain it to him once, giving each color a personality. White was pure, Red was vivacious, orange was playful and yellow was innocence. Even though he knew that people weren't yellow, it's how he wanted to think of this strange girl named Alice. Yellow seemed to suit her, even though he knew nothing of her but her name. There was one thing he was sure of, even though he had no way of knowing. He knew her hair was black. Black was one color Tanya did not have to tell him about. He knew _that _color, and while many people placed it in a negative light, Jasper found black to be comforting.

Jasper could hardly believe that he had shown her his eyes. Usually, he wore colored contacts that made his eyes look normal, but they bothered him so he had taken them out for comfort. He had no idea he would be showing them off less than an hour later.

"You got a name, mister?" she asked when he hadn't responded.

He almost chuckled at his daydreaming; he hadn't been caught doing so since he was a child.

"Jasper," he replied. He wondered if she smiled at it.

Jasper was unsure of what to do next so he found himself slowly moving out of Alice's grasp. When she noticed him move, she dropped his arm right away. He walked over to the door, turning one last time, almost as if he was trying to see her before putting his glasses on and leaving.

Alice wanted to call out to him. To ask him if she would ever see him again, but her pride was one of the only things she had left, and she wasn't about to bid it adieu for the first splash of kindness she'd received in a while.

When Jasper returned to his apartment, he was alarmed by how quiet it was. There was nothing amiss but the usual sound of nothingness no longer comforted him; he never noticed how cold it felt. He knew that his place was decorated stylishly and masculine as per his instructions but as he sat down in his chair, he noticed how uncomfortable it was.

He had spent his drive home thinking about Alice. She seemed so young to him and he wondered just how old she was. He had a feeling her childlike voice was deceptive, because although it was soprano in tone, there was too much wisdom behind it, like the world had been forced upon her before her time. He wondered how she ended up on the street and if she would ever find her way off.

When Jasper's random charity generator; ie, his dart chose a shelter, immediately people like Alice had entered his mind. Alice was the exact type of person that Jasper had set out to help when opening up the shelter, but while his ambition before would have been driven by the success of getting someone like Alice off the street, he suddenly found himself with not only a name but a face—so to speak. From their brief exchange, Jasper knew he could make her truly hirable. It was not only within his grasp to help this girl get off the street but it could almost be easy.

Of course, nothing is ever easy. By the time he arrived at the shelter in the morning, Alice was gone.

Alice, mistress of mistakes, added to her ever-growing list the following evening. When the sun set in the sky, she found herself standing outside of the building she had slept in the night before, thinking fondly of the tiny couch. But 'Summit Shelter' sign shone brightly and taunted her, telling her she was weak, that Jasper had been luring her in the same way as all the other men, just with prettier lies. She didn't want to believe it. The Jasper in her heart had been sweet and vulnerable, but the one in her mind was cruel and calculating. Deciding she couldn't take the risk, Alice turned to her right and walked down the street. Of course, if she would have turned to her left, she would have walked exactly two blocks before running into Jasper and Tanya.

It took Alice over a week to before she returned to the shelter. She had puffed herself up, telling herself that it was a shelter and she was damn well able to use it if she wanted. She hadn't asked Jasper for a handout and she wasn't about to keep risking herself of the street at night if she didn't have to.

Marching into the building like she had something to prove, Alice walked up to the check out desk and asked about the bedding situation. The girl sitting behind the desk looked as if she belonged in a magazine, not working in a homeless shelter. Alice wondered if maybe she was a movie star doing community service for a DUI or something.

"Sure, sweetie," the girl said, and although Alice expected her tone to be demeaning, she couldn't find anything but kindness inside it. "You'll be in cot forty-seven. The numbers are just above the beds, and there is a small cubby there for your personal belongings if you need. Here is a lock, it is to be returned here tomorrow by nine AM or you will forfeit the right to stay here again."

"Sure," Alice said, feeling bored. She had heard a version of this speech many times…don't steal the bedding and watch your own shit.

"If you need anything, I'll be at the desk until ten tonight," she continued, ignoring Alice's tone. Along with the lock, she passed Alice a small bag, which had a toothbrush and a small container of toothpaste. Alice wanted to kiss the girl but decided against it, so as to not get kicked out.

Alice found her bunk immediately, knowing instinctively that it would be the one closest to Jasper's office. The partitions that separated her section of beds gave her a bit of privacy if he did come by, not that he would know she was there.

Two of the beds in Alice's section where already filled with sleeping bodies. Long hair spilled out of both blankets and she assumed that meant her 'roommates' were female. It was nice when a shelter separated for sex but it didn't always happen. There seemed to be far more men and the women tended to get shoved in the empty slots, no matter where they were.

Finding the bathroom, Alice pulled her shoes off. She rinsed the inside of her sandals, using the soap from the container. She considered bathing herself in the sink when she noticed in the mirror a corridor beside the line of stalls. Following it, she discovered the holy grail of bathrooms.

Real frickin' doors!

Alice jumped up and down, unable to contain her joy at the thought of being able to be completely clean. There was one stall in use, so she picked the farthest one from the occupied one and entered. Daintily slipping off her clothes, Alice sighed, wishing she could wash them as well. She couldn't even remember the last time she got to be completely fresh.

Setting the temperature to slightly under scalding, Alice stepped in and let the water wash away the grime from her body. There was a container of soap on the wall and she used it to scrub not only her body but her hair. She knew without conditioner, there would be no way she'd get a comb through it, but clean and knotty trumped dirty any day.

Once her body no longer held the sins of her life, she grabbed the toothbrush off the ledge and brushed her teeth—four times. It felt heavenly and Alice may have moaned as she ran her tongue over her new pearly whites. She pulled her fingers through her hair a few times while the water poured over her, trying to get some of the knots out before shutting the water off.

Alice hadn't even noticed she was without a towel until she realized that she was wet and naked.

"Shit," she muttered out loud.

A laugh came from the other side of the room, and a few seconds later, a towel came flying over her door.

"Get a little excited and forget something, honey?" a jovial voice asked.

"Thanks," Alice shouted back.

She wrapped herself in the towel, it was small but she was smaller. She took her time drying every part of her body, not wanting to change back into her dirty clothes. More showers started up around her and she knew that meant it would be busy soon. She didn't want to start trouble by hogging the heavenly shower. Dressing quickly, Alice thought herself lucky that no one was waiting when she exited the shower, as the other ones were all full now.

The bed was nicer than other ones she had slept in but Alice chalked that up to Summit being a new shelter. As Alice closed her eyes, she heard a voice that made them snap back open.

"Tanya, just put the bell on the desk, I need to talk to you in my office for a minute."

Alice froze as Jasper's voice carried over all the noise of the shelter. There was no way she should have heard him if he was by the front desk but she had, as clear as day. She held her breath as she watched the small space in front of her area, knowing that he would have to pass by her bed to get to his office.

When he finally did, it was so quick she could hardly believe it. She wasn't sure what she was expecting. It's not like he was going to look over and see her there in the bed and…and what? She didn't even know.

The thing that had knotted her stomach was the pretty blonde that followed him. She was as beautiful as him and kind, and that made Alice hate her. But she couldn't hate her because as much as she didn't want to admit it to herself, she wanted Jasper to be taken care of by someone who was worthy. It was clear that this girl was worthy. That fact made Alice want to cry—and that just pissed her off.

Because for just a moment, Alice thought that she could have a happily ever after, and as much as she loved her friend, she cursed Bella for giving her the worse gift of all, hope.

Alice came up with many ideas in her head why the two of them would be alone together in his office; wild imaginings came over her as she wished for platonic dealings. She had no idea how long she stared from her bed but when the two of them reemerged, the blonde was holding Jasper's arm in an overly familiar way.

The blonde girl looked over and made eye contact with Alice, slowing when she saw the look of concern on Alice's face. Jasper leaned in and whispered something in her ear and Alice turned away from the intimate gesture. It was obvious that these two were very comfortable with each other; this was not a new affair.

"It's nothing," she replied before they walked off again.

Alice's mistake of assuming that they were a couple kept her from approaching Jasper for the next two weeks, even though she had seen him every night. Each time, he had been accompanied by the girl, whose name she now knew was Tanya.

Jasper had searched for the young girl named Alice, but was unable to find her. Of course he couldn't have known that she would sign into the shelter under a false name. If he had asked Tanya to check the register for a Penelope Hale, he would have found that she had indeed been spending her nights just ten feet from the door of his office.

Alice had picked the name Penelope after her neighbor's cat from when she was a child. She remembered the cute, orange fuzzball was tiny but a firecracker, scratching anything in its path. And the last name she borrowed from a golden haired waitress at the diner that she frequented when she had the spare change. They would feed her a peanut butter sandwich for only a dollar and never kicked her out into the cold in the winter.

It was this same waitress that noticed Alice picking at the crust of her sandwich one Thursday afternoon.

"What's the matter, honey?" she asked her smile sad.

"Nothing I shouldn't be used to by now," Alice replied cryptically.

"Ahh, man trouble," the waitress giggled. "Why don't you tell Rosalie all about it?"

Alice almost giggled at the fact that this buxom young girl was speaking in third person like a fifty year old truck stop waitress, but the truth was that she was a little weirded out that Rosalie had hit the nail on the head so quickly. The small glimpses of Jasper throughout the last week had told her everything she needed to know about him. He listened intently no matter who was speaking; when he spoke, he spoke kindly; and he never let any of the female staff leave alone at night. He was the perfect gentleman and she was far from a perfect lady.

"Thanks Rosalie," Alice started, "but it's just a case of wishing I was Cinderella when in fact I'm the ugly stepsister. Metaphorically speaking, of course, 'cause I'm hot."

Rosalie let out a large belly laugh. "I like you, kid. Let me get you some more coffee."

Alice watched the girl walk away before she looked back at her plate, she was zoned out and she barely heard the familiar voice speak.

"That's her; that is the one that has been watching you."

Alice only heard the word "dangerous" but she knew it was Jasper right away. Her head snapped up and she saw Jasper and Tanya sitting in a booth not far from her. Tanya was looking at Alice but speaking to Jasper.

"I don't know, she's pretty tiny."

Alice got the gist of their conversation. Tanya was worried about Alice; she was concerned that Alice was a threat to Jasper's safety. She couldn't blame the girl, if she had that, she'd want to protect what was hers too.

Alice stood up and walked by the table. She stopped and looked at Tanya, knowing that she would falter if she looked at Jasper.

"Don't worry; I'm only a danger if you trip over me."

Alice took two steps before Jasper's voice stopped her. "Alice?" He sounded so excited, maybe even hopeful.

"This is Alice?" Tanya asked, sharing in his excitement.

"Yeah," Alice said slowly.

"We've been looking all over for you!" Tanya exclaimed. "I mean, I've seen you a bunch of times, but I didn't know what you looked like, not really. Although Jasper did say you were little and had black hair so I should have put it together. I mean, Jasper, did you know she had been staying at the shelter for, like, two weeks now?"

"Tanya, calm down," Jasper chuckled and Alice couldn't help but catch his smile. They were contagious, after all.

"How come you've been looking for me?" Alice asked expectantly.

"I think I can help you. I have a wonderful program I'm setting up that I think you'd be perfect for. It's an education program to help get you the employment you need to get off the street." What Jasper didn't tell her was that he set the program up for Alice. He needed to help her; he'd even stopped asking himself why.

It wasn't the words she was hoping for but they promised her something even better, a fresh start, a chance to be her own woman without relying on anyone to provide for her. So it took her less than a second to respond.

"When do I start?"

Alice started classes the next week. They prepared her with necessary skills to land a secretarial job, but Alice didn't want to be on the bottom rung anymore, so she asked Jasper if it would be possible if she could train for a sales position. She had wondered if asking for more was a mistake but that idea was rendered moot when his face lit up like the Fourth of July.

Jasper had Alice come in every week for progress meetings. She wondered how he had time to meet with all of the people in the program on such a regular basis and put the time he did in at the shelter, but she really didn't have any idea that she was the only one in Jasper's program—for now.

Jasper intended on expanding the program but he wanted to make sure Alice was secure and on her way before he added more people to the program. He knew it wouldn't be for everyone but it would make all the difference to the ones that could handle it.

Alice enjoyed her weekly meetings with Jasper. While they had started with strictly talk about her classes, progress, and goals, they had morphed into two friends meeting to catch up. Alice hadn't told Jasper a lot of details about her questionable past, but she sensed that he had a good idea of the things she had done in the name of surviving.

Out of all the information that Alice had learned about Jasper, the fact that Tanya was his sister was the most surprising. She was in awe of how he had hid his disability from the world, he had been dealt a hard hand and yet he had thrived while she had failed. She grew to care deeply for Jasper but she no longer held the notion that he could be her knight in shining armor. The only one on a horse defending her honor would be herself. That didn't mean that she didn't fantasize about being with him, she had always done that, but now in the fantasy, they were equals.

Alice suspected that Jasper had feelings for her as well but to be honest, she was glad he hadn't acted on them. She needed to put her life straight before she added anyone else into the mix.

The following fall, Alice finished her classes, paving the way for her to be gainfully employed. Jasper had offered to help her secure a position but Alice declined, saying she wanted to try on her own first. Jasper was beyond proud of her for this and subsequently, that became the day he fell in love with the tiny girl.

Alice found a job in sales quickly and flourished in the competitive environment. Jasper's program had provided her with the clothes she needed on top of the educational resources and because of that, she was confident that she would be able to succeed. She loved the thrill of the sale, finding someone the perfect product for their needs. She never talked anyone into anything that was too much for them and therefore, fast became the top salesperson in her district.

She continued her weekly meetings with Jasper but they held little to no formality anymore. They continued to meet at the little diner, enjoying the stale coffee and greasy fare. It had taken Alice only a few months to save up for a damage deposit on an apartment and although it was modest, it was her own.

Weeks turned to months and Alice began to doubt her notion that Jasper fancied her. She decided that maybe she had made the whole thing up in her head. Sure, Jasper had tucked her hair behind her ear or held a door open for her but maybe he was just a friendly person.

Alice had turned down a lot of suitors at work; they all seemed to be interested in the fresh meat in the office. Truth be told, they scared her a little. Alice still had troubles putting her trust in men, all it seemed to take was one little gesture and they would remind her of one of her John's and she would be turned off dating them for good.

Of course, another reason she had turned down her options at work was because of Jasper. She was holding out on the hope that he would ask her out, but every day, that hope seemed to be dwindling.

When all the hope had been lost, Alice decided that she would tell Jasper that maybe their friendship was too hard on her. She wanted to have Jasper in her life but it wasn't enough being his friend. She knew that she wouldn't be able to stand it if he found another and then gushed about the girl to her. It was easier to end this early before she could really end up hurt.

When Alice arrived at the diner, she was about to make a huge mistake—again. Luckily for Alice, God or karma or whatever it was that controlled the universe decided to give her a break.

Jasper sat nervously at the table, waiting for Alice. He had put this off far too long and he hoped that he hadn't missed his chance. There was no way of knowing for sure what she would say. He couldn't blame his blindness this time on the things he couldn't see.

He thought at first that Alice was interested in him but then she seemed aloof on occasions. He had tried flirting and holding doors open for her but she seemed to take the gestures as friendly ones and not romantic ones. He had never felt so lost with someone in his life; this tiny sprite of a girl had come into his world and shaken it with something that couldn't be measured on the Richter scale.

Jasper took a deep breath in as Alice lowered herself in the seat in front of him. He almost stopped himself what with the loud sigh she let out before joining him. Pushing forward, because he couldn't stand to be still any longer, Jasper spoke quickly.

"Alice, I want you to accompany me out tomorrow…on a date," he stumbled. "If you'd like."

Alice's face beamed, and while Jasper couldn't see it, he recognized the joy in the accompanying squeal.

"You've kept me waiting a long time."

Alice didn't stop making mistakes over night. She fought her road to happiness every step of the way. Jasper had been used to everything going his way, so when Alice came into his life and threw a wrench in his plans, it only made him fight harder to keep the girl of his dreams.

They weren't flawless but together they found a balance, creating not perfection, but a perfect life for them. It was seventeen mistakes later that Jasper proposed and one more before Alice accepted. But by far, their favorite mistake came in the form of a baby boy, delivered exactly nine months after their wedding.

Alice's mistakes had led her the long way around, but they had taken her to where she needed to be. Because of that, she wouldn't have changed a thing.


End file.
